The devil has a deliberate, willful plan against your life. He has a goal: to destroy your body, mind, or spirit, or all three. His purpose in doing this is to keep God’s purposes from you, deny God the glory He might receive from your life, and ultimately destroy you. He seeks to replace God with himself in your life.

The devil desires not only to destroy what you have—your possessions, your career, your family, your reputation in the community. He seeks to destroy who you are. He wants to demolish your character. He seeks to destroy your peace, joy, happiness, contentment, enthusiasm for life, willingness to take godly risks, generosity, and all other emotional states that are healthy or good.

The devil has attacked every believer who has ever lived. You are no exception. As long as you are alive and the devil exists, you will experience spiritual attacks.

THE NATURE OF A SPIRITUAL ATTACK

What is a satanic attack? Here is the definition to which we will refer throughout this book:

A satanic attack is a deliberate, willful, intentional, and well-designed act
intended to bring harm to a person in any way—
physical, mental, economic, relational, or spiritual.

SATAN’S OBJECTIVES

What are the objectives of a satanic attack? He has four:

  1. Satan seeks to draw us away from God. That’s always his ultimate goal.
  2. Satan seeks to thwart us in God’s purpose and plan for our lives. He seeks to get us off track and out of the will of God for our lives.
  3. Satan seeks to deny God the glory, honor, and praise due Him as we live godly lives of faith and trust in Him.
  4. Satan seeks to destroy us—literally and eternally.

Charles F. Stanley, When the Enemy Strikes: The Keys to Winning Your Spiritual Battles (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004), 1–2.


We have just released a new Bible Study based on the book: When The Enemy Strikes, by Charles Stanley

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